[kernel-xen] Xen Security Advisory 87 - PHYSDEVOP_{prepare, release}_msix exposed to unprivileged guests

Steven Haigh netwiz at crc.id.au
Fri Jan 24 23:13:47 EST 2014


                   Xen Security Advisory XSA-87

     PHYSDEVOP_{prepare,release}_msix exposed to unprivileged guests

ISSUE DESCRIPTION
=================

The PHYSDEVOP_{prepare,release}_msix operations are supposed to be available
to privileged guests (domain 0 in non-disaggregated setups) only, but the
necessary privilege check was missing.

IMPACT
======

Malicious or misbehaving unprivileged guests can cause the host or other
guests to malfunction. This can result in host-wide denial of service.
Privilege escalation, while seeming to be unlikely, cannot be excluded.

VULNERABLE SYSTEMS
==================

Xen 4.1.5 and 4.1.6.1 as well as 4.2.2 and later are vulnerable.
Xen 4.2.1 and 4.2.0 as well as 4.1.4 and earlier are not vulnerable.

Only PV guests can take advantage of this vulnerability.

MITIGATION
==========

Running only HVM guests will avoid this issue.

There is no mitigation available for PV guests.

NOTE REGARDING LACK OF EMBARGO
==============================

This issue was disclosed publicly on the xen-devel mailing list.

RESOLUTION
==========

Fixed in xen-4.2.3-12

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 819 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
URL: <https://lists.wireless.org.au/pipermail/kernel-xen/attachments/20140124/20c3ce91/attachment.sig>


More information about the kernel-xen mailing list